John King
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Jan 27/06) - The North may be cold a lot of the time, but it will be the hot destination in 2007 for more than 18,000 scientists from around the world to mark the International Polar Year (IPY).

Activity will focus on the Earth's southern polar ice cap, too.

Some early planning for that information gold rush was charted at Yellowknife's Canadian Forces Northern Area headquarters late last year by a 59-person working group of policymakers, politicians, and bureaucrats. They delved into topics as diverse as protecting the eggheads against terrorist attack and some of the environmental issues covered.

"The project is a once in a 50-year opportunity to get a full perspective of what's happening at the two extremes of our planet," said Martin Bergmann, a project representative with the department of Fisheries and Oceans.

"This IPY will address how the two poles have changed, and how they interact with the rest of the globe," Bergmann said.

Scientists will travel here from Great Britain, the United States and China.

"The importance for Canada is how the North affects the people who live here: their communities, changes to the permafrost and the ice, and their way of life," Bergmann said.

The polar year is a chance to be a part of one of the largest global research projects in the world, said Bergmann.

The Canadian government is pledging $150 million to the international year.

"One of our government's aims with IPY, is to leave a positive, lasting legacy for Northerners and aboriginal communities," said deputy prime minister Anne McLellan of the government's funding.

"Part of our investment will go towards engaging Northern communities in research activities, education and hands-on training opportunities," McLellan said.

It is also the hope of the Canadian government that the research-fest will help to encourage a new generation of polar scientists and experts from the North, said McLellan.

An issue of some contention among delegates were contingencies for Arctic security and emergency responses, including terrorist attacks on pipelines and plane crashes.

"We looked at the inventory of assets that each department has and reviewed what their capabilities are," said Colonel Norm Couturier, commanding officer at CFNA and chairperson for the Yellowknife group.